This Is Not A Conspiracy Theory
This is the latest of many fruitful collaborations with filmmaker Kirby Ferguson. (Over the years, Kirby directed several videos for The Wet Spots and in 2007 I co-wrote two original songs for his Youtube mini-musical Macs v PCs.)
This Is Not A Conspiracy Theory is a popular look at systems theory, using the phenomenon of conspiracy thinking as the hook. The tone of the film at once embraces and satirizes the 'dark, shadowy underworld' tone of X Files and In Search Of... As such, Kirby wanted music that sounded 60s film-noir-ish, sci-fi and contemporary. I accomplished this by using a number of synthesized sounds in the background, and heavily featuring a classic era James Bond style electric guitar - in this case a twangy Gretsch White Falcon through a 1966 Vox Berkeley amp with the reverb turned way up.
Kirby was also after a one-or-two-second "sound mark" that could identify the series as surely as the short stinger themes for HBO or Lost identify those brands. My goal was to write longer musical pieces for the series that would inevitably end in the brief "sound mark" phrase.
Ultimately, this was my first experience scoring a longer film per a filmmaker's timing and thematic requirements. The process was collaborative, and Kirby's knowledge of Logic Pro Audio was a big help.
This Is Not A Conspiracy Theory is a popular look at systems theory, using the phenomenon of conspiracy thinking as the hook. The tone of the film at once embraces and satirizes the 'dark, shadowy underworld' tone of X Files and In Search Of... As such, Kirby wanted music that sounded 60s film-noir-ish, sci-fi and contemporary. I accomplished this by using a number of synthesized sounds in the background, and heavily featuring a classic era James Bond style electric guitar - in this case a twangy Gretsch White Falcon through a 1966 Vox Berkeley amp with the reverb turned way up.
Kirby was also after a one-or-two-second "sound mark" that could identify the series as surely as the short stinger themes for HBO or Lost identify those brands. My goal was to write longer musical pieces for the series that would inevitably end in the brief "sound mark" phrase.
Ultimately, this was my first experience scoring a longer film per a filmmaker's timing and thematic requirements. The process was collaborative, and Kirby's knowledge of Logic Pro Audio was a big help.
The Main Themes
These are the most prominently featured musical pieces in the film
Sound Mark
This is the short sound mark that identifies the series. I like the sonar pings that pan from left to right as it fades out. Sonar pings feature as percussion elements throughout these pieces, which suggests espionage, cloak & dagger etc.
This is the short sound mark that identifies the series. I like the sonar pings that pan from left to right as it fades out. Sonar pings feature as percussion elements throughout these pieces, which suggests espionage, cloak & dagger etc.
Conspiracy Theory
This is the music for first section of the film. It introduces the main guitar phrases and ends with the sound mark.
This is the music for first section of the film. It introduces the main guitar phrases and ends with the sound mark.
The Fix Is In
This forms the main body of the second section of the film. It is stripped back to basics - mostly the percussive elements.
This forms the main body of the second section of the film. It is stripped back to basics - mostly the percussive elements.
Conspiracy Reprise
This is the closing section of the film. The narration and visuals suggest travelling backwards through time at one point, so I incorporate some reversed audio. We wanted some increased intensity and drama at the very end, so I use guitar and synth in an ascending scale right before the final resolution on the sound mark phrase.
This is the closing section of the film. The narration and visuals suggest travelling backwards through time at one point, so I incorporate some reversed audio. We wanted some increased intensity and drama at the very end, so I use guitar and synth in an ascending scale right before the final resolution on the sound mark phrase.
Atmospherics
I also wrote some atmospheric bits with similar sounds & chord progressions that Kirby could use at low volume in other parts of the film. Sometimes these were parts of the prominent themes with vital pieces - like drums - removed. Sometimes strange reverbs and delays were added. In some cases I prefer these to the prominent themes.